Mechanical draft-producing device for locomotive engines



sept.' 15, 1925. 4 .553,578

J. TROTTER MECHANICAL DRAFTv PRODUCING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES Filed Jan. 26, 1925 a Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

YUNITED STATES i 1,553,578 PATENT oFFICE.

JAMES TROTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL DRAFT-PRODUGING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.

Application filed January 26, 1925f Serial No. 4,975.

from the cylinders through a nozzle and thaty the draft is obtained at an excessive expenditure of power, due to back pressure of the steam upon the cylinder pistons, also consuming an excessive amount of coal for work performed, on account of the restricted opening of the nozzle, to get the required draft. s

Various attempt-S have been made to increase the efliciency of the locomotive by the provision of draft producing devices arranged within the smoke box, but these devices have proven to be inefficient for the reason that they are subjected to intense heat which interferes with their operation and often renders such devices completely inoperative.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a mechanical draft producing device to be used in conjunction with the exhaust steam from the cylinders for creating a forced draft in a locomotive boiler and which device will be located exterior of the smoke box and in a position Where it will be out of the way and at the same time will be readily accessible.4

It is another object of the present invention to divide the draft by providing a partition in the smoke box to divide the latter into two compartments one of which compartments is adjacent the flue sheet. A second partition is also provided to divide the compartment which is adjacent the flue sheet into two compartments to separate the top or upper battery of fines from the lower ones.

A mechanical draft producing device is placed on top of the boiler and has communication with the upper compartmentto create a draft through the upper battery of ilues when iin action, while a draft is produced through the lower battery of ilues by the exhaust steam from the cylinders when in action, discharging through the front compartment in the smoke box and into the smoke stack, and by the natural draft of the locomotive when the engine is not in operation. Thevmechanical device is arranged to operate when the engineis in action and preferably through the medium of a steam turbine supplied withsteam from the steam pipe that leads to the steam valve. of the cylinder and being Linder Vcontrol of the engineer.

As the super heater units extend into the upper battery of lues there should be no draft through these flues when the engine is not in operation for the reason that if the iame of the fire is passed through these flues at that time, the super heater units would be damaged and would burn up as there will be no steam in the superv heater vunits at that time, to protect them.

VVit-h this invention there will be provided a mild and continuous draft on the fire while the engine is in operation, thereby preventing the drawing of the coked coal from the fire box through the fines to the atmosphere, with the result that there will be a large percentage of saving in fuel and at the same time .the efficiency of the boiler will be greatly increased. y s l y Furthermore bythe employment of this invention it is possible to employ a very largenozzle in the engine for the exhaust steam, thereby eliminating the heretofore fierce draft which consumes a great amount of fuel, and with the furtherresult that back pressure in the cylinders will be reduced, resulting in an increase of horsepower of the engine enabling the handling of a much larger and greater tonnage train than heretofore.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, t-he invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction,

combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing in which;

Figure 1, is a diagrammatic end elevation of the smoke box of a locomotive engine having an apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2, is a view partly in vertical lonu gt-udinal section and partly in elevation of the smoke box of a locomotive engine showing this invention applied thereto and with parts omitted.

`from the lower bank 14.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing the numeral designates generally the front end of a locomotive engine having a stack 11, a flue sheet 12 through'which the' upper bank 13 and the lower bank 14- of the iiues open, and a smoke box designated generally by the reference numerall 15.

A spark arrester embodying a substantially horizontal partition 16, a screen 17 and an upright partition 18 divides the smoke box into twocompartments, the partition 18 being spaced from and extending in a directionA transversely of the flues and are ranged in advance of the ends of the flues.

A supplemental substantially horizontal partition 19 extendsacross the space between the partition 18 and the flue sheet to form a closedchamber with which the upper bank of the flues communicate and the partition separates the upper bank of fliies 13 An exhaust nozzle 2O discharges through the portion of the smoke box with which the fiues 14 have communication and also through the partition 16 into the stack 11 to create a suction in the `smoke box and through the flues 14; and screen 17, which Ylatter forms a portion of the spark arrester.

Super-heater pipes 21 having communication with a header 22 extend into each of the kflues: of the upper bank 13 and a pipe 23 leads from `the header 22 to the .steam chest. The flow of steam from the header 22 throughthe pipe 23 and to the steam chest is controlled in the ordinary and well known manner (not shown) from the engine cab.

` f Y Arranged in any suitable or' convenient position, preferably on top of the boiler is a mechanical suct-ion creating device 24 such as a fan or the like, the inlet sideV of the casing of which has communication as at 25 with the chamber 26 formed by the partitions 18-19 and the flue sheet and end of the boiler.

f The exhaust outlet 27 of the fan casing preferably discharges into the atmosphere so that when the suction creating device is actuated, suction willbe created through the upper bank 13 of the lues.

lAny suitable means may be provided for actuating the suction creating device such asa turbine motor 28 adapted to be itself actuated by steam supplied thereto preferably from Vthe steam pipe 23, through the medium of a pipe 29.

As the circulation of steam through the pipe 23 is controlled by the engineer, it will be manifest that the flow of steam through the pipe 29 will also be controlled, with the result that when the engine is stopped bv A through tlie'lower bank 14- of the flues.

While the preferred form of the `iiivention has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that various Vchanges may be made in the ldetails of construction and in the combina/tion and arrangement of the several parts, withinV the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

YV hat is claimed asnew is: y Y

1. A* mechanical draft producing device for locomotive engines embodying in combination, a chamber in the smoke box, said chamberbeing constantly out o-f communication with the interior of the smoke box but li aving communication with only some of the .fines of the boiler, and a mechanical suction creating device exterior of the smoke box and chamber and having communication with the chamber for creating suction only through those iiues that have communication with the said chamber, said device cooperating with' the exhaust steam for creating a draft over the entire area of fthe fire box grate.

locomotive engine, apartition therein forming' with the flue sheet a chamber withwhich only a portion of the -iiues communicate and being closed to the, other iiues, a suction creating device exterior of the smoke box and chamber, the inlet side of said suction creating device having communication with the chamber to create a. suction through those lues which have communication with the chamber, a steam header, 'a steam pipe `leading therefrom, a pipe leading from the said steam pipe to the said suction creating device for conveying steam to the. suction creating device for actuating it, and anY exhaust iioz- Y zle discharging into the smoke box exterior of the said chamber Y 1 In testimony whereof I have .signedV my name to this specification, on this 22nd day of January, A, D. 1925.

JAMES TnofrT-*r-R.

2. Inconibination with the smoke-box of a 

